Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Turners’ syndrome (TS) affects one in 2500 live births. Multiple comorbidities affect TS patients and recommendations for long-term management advocate annual review with a ‘checklist’ approach. This audit of current practice of a specialist TS clinic aims to identify gaps in patients’ management.Methods: A checklist of recommendations for health screening based on the National Turner’s Syndrome Guidelines was devel...

Introduction: Bile acid malabsorption (BAM) may be a contributing factor causing diarrhoea in patients with NETs, particularly among those who have undergone previous surgical resection of the terminal ileum and/or right colon or cholecystectomy (Naraev et al 2019). Aim(s): To identify the prevalence of bile acid malabsorption in neuroendocrine tumour patients (NET) at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB). Materi...

Background: In the UK, adults with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) are treated with recombinant Growth Hormone (GH) therapy according to NICE guidelines (TA64). Provided that patients show an initial improvement in their quality-of-life score, assessed using the Quality-of-Life Assessment of GHD in Adults (Qol-AGHDA) questionnaire, they can continue with their GH treatment long-term. However, in clinical practice, many patients are observed to discontinue GH r...

Adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD) is a metabolic syndrome characterised by osteoporosis, increased visceral fat, adverse lipid profiles, decreased muscle mass and reduced energy levels. As such, it is associated with reduced quality of life (QoL) and increased mortality from cardiovascular disease. Synthetic growth hormone (GH) can be given to replace natural GH; however, treatment is costly at around £3350 per patient per year and could cause side effects including ...

We report the case of a 59-year-old male who presented complaining of several weeks of tiredness, poor appetite and dizziness on standing. He had been treated with flucloxacillin by his GP for otitis externa one week earlier.In 1982, he was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Hong Kong, which was treated by radical dissection and radiotherapy.On examination, his standing and lying blood pressure were 150/100 and 110/90 respe...

The hepatic peptide hormone hepcidin is the principal regulator of iron absorption and tissue iron distribution. Hepcidin circulates in blood plasma and acts at nanomolar concentrations by inducing degradation of its receptor, the cellular iron exporter ferroportin. Ferroportin exports iron into plasma from absorptive enterocytes, from macrophages that recycle the iron of senescent erythrocytes, and from hepatocytes that store iron. Therefore, hepcidin-mediated degradation of ...

Introduction: Psychological symptoms such as aggression, confusion, irritation, anxiety and depression have been observed clinically in patients with carcinoid syndrome. It has been suggested that vasoactive-hormone secretion are involved in provoking psychological symptoms. The objective of this qualitative study is to explore the presence and experience of specific psychological symptoms in vasoactive hormone-secreting NET (carcinoid syndrome).Methods:...

Advances in childhood cancer treatment have led to an overall 5 year survival rate of almost 80%. As a result 1 in 900 adults are now childhood cancer survivors but have increased risk of long-term health consequences. Data from the USA, UK, and Europe have demonstrated a standardised mortality rate of 8.4–10.8. Cardiovascular morbidity (congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, and strokes) have been reported as the commonest non-neoplastic causes of mortality, wi...

Introduction: Smokers around the globe commonly report increased body weight after smoking cessation as a major factor that interferes with their attempts to quit. In addition, numerous controlled studies in both humans and rodents have reported that nicotine exerts a marked anorectic action. Nicotine’s effects on energy homeostasis have been mostly pinpointed in the central nervous system, but the molecular mechanisms controlling its action are still not fully understood...

Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a licensed and NICE approved indication for growth hormone (GH) treatment but there are no nationally agreed standards for investigation of suspected GHD. Variable practice across the UK could have governance issues and impact on patient experience and equality of access to specialist GH investigation and treatment. Some GH provocation tests carry significant risk and it is therefore essential that these specialist investigations are carried ...